ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — According to a recent study by the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT), the state’s 73 airports generate more than $2.5 billion annually in economic activity, provide vital connectivity links enabling businesses to function more efficiently and improve the quality of life for residents in airport communities. “This study indicates how substantial the […] [...]

WASHINGTON — A federal court today upheld a 2008 air pollution standard the Obama administration vowed to strengthen, but later reversed itself and kept in place. The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington rejected arguments that the ozone standard for public health set by former President George W. Bush was either too weak or too […] [...]

MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST — Mississippi’s three Coast counties meet all the air-quality requirements outlined by federal law. That’s according to a report from the state Department of Environmental Quality. The Sun Herald reports the MDEQ keeps tabs on what’s in the air throughout the state. In Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties, ozone and particulate matter […] [...]

JACKSON — Southwest Airlines is dropping one of its three daily Jackson-to-Houston flights as well as its direct Jackson-to-Baltimore flight. The Clarion-Ledger reports the airline, effective June 1, will no longer offer a 2:10 p.m. departure from Jackson to Houston’s Hobby Airport. It will still have morning and evening departures. And, effective Aug. 1, the […] [...]

DESOTO COUNTY — The Environmental Protection Agency has rejected appeals from state officials over air quality listings. According to The Commercial Appeal, the decision means the counties remain classified as “non-attainment” areas because of ozone levels. Officials say the designation makes it more difficult to attract industry. The “non-attainment” counties in the Delta region are […] [...]

TUPELO — Tupelo Regional Airport officials have asked a federal judge in Oxford to throw out a job discrimination lawsuit. The lawsuit filed by former airport executive director Terry Anderson is scheduled for trial on April 8. WTVA-TV in Tupelo reports the airport board argues it had legitimate reasons to fire Anderson in December of […] [...]

GREENVILLE — Officials at Greenville Mid-Delta Airport said flights on Silver Airways are not as full as they’d hoped, and it might be because travelers are unsure how to book flights. Though Silver Airways has been servicing Greenville’s airport for a little over a month, travelers are still unable to book flights through Delta Airlines […] [...]

ELLISVILLE — GE Aviation will begin taking applications Nov. 5 for its new Ellisville-based composites factory. The unit of General Electric Co. made the announcement last week as Gov. Phil Bryant visited the nearly completed plant. The company expects to hire 250 workers within five years to make composite parts for aircraft engines and systems. […] [...]

RAYMOND ‑ When news hit earlier this month that an American drone had killed at least 10 al-Qaida militants, instructors some 8,000 miles away at Hinds Community College were working on Mississippi’s first program to train drone pilots. Currently the market on unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, also known as drones, is almost completely military. […] [...]

TUPELO — The Tupelo City Council has unanimously approved acceptance of a $1.85 million federal grant for the Tupelo Regional Airport that the council had rejected last week. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports the action came after a special meeting last night with airport officials, which included questions and expressions of concern about airport […] [...]